Part of his broader linguistic research involved looking at the way masculinity is constructed in Men’s Health magazine (see this paper for examples – in short it seems men should be extremely muscular, drink beer, eat beef and have amazing sex). As an archaeologist, I was intrigued by the slide he showed of Men’s Health stories which draw on historical topics, and felt like breaking my blog silence to share (this is pictured, badly, above). These included

‘Boost endurance like an Aztec warrior’
‘Build bulk like a Roman gladiator’
‘Stay fit like a Viking raider’
‘Build stamina like a Mongol marauder’

I’d be intrigued to know what textual or archaeological evidence lies behind these pieces.